Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Saint Patrick’s Day - Going Green On South Beach

Green is a VERY popular color on South Beach. The waving palms, the fists full of cash, the jealous glare as some balding Lothario driving a Bentley gets into the club right in front of you…That’s why we love Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17) because everyone gets to be green at the same time. Londoners know a thing or two about the newest pub on South Beach - Waxy O’Connor’s - a popular Leicester Square destination for a pint and a football match. Waxy’s brand new location puts the BOOM into our pub crawling lifestyle and promises to make March 2008 the Greenest month ever! Though South Beach tends toward the quick fix and the get-rich-quick venture, Waxy’s is a thoughtfully executed bar and a welcome addition to the neighborhood. We were so impressed by the place, we researched the pedigree behind the polished presentation.

Waxy O’Connor’s (1248 Washington Avenue) was both designed and built by Telesco Associates with all of the millwork and bars imported directly from Ireland. What makes it extra special for St Patrick’s Day revelers is it’s location RIGHT across Washington Avenue from the brilliant Playwright Irish Pub, so drinking and crawling just got a whole lot easier. In honor of this brand new bar, we’ve taken a cue from Calle Ocho and have hereby dubbed the “Calle Formerly Known as 12th Street - Little Dublin!”

Thomas Telesco is an architect and former New York nightclub owner who brings his years of experience to the entertainment and hospitality industry in South Florida. His first South Florida project for Waxy O’Connor’s was the wildly popular Fort Lauderdale branch of the pub and restaurant. Telesco Associate Design firms has as it’s ethos a belief that “great hospitality designs create the correct visual surroundings from the parking lot through the front door, the interior design and the actual menu itself, to let the patrons know and feel that perception that was intended by the designer. Everything visual associated with the venue sends a powerful message…”

To feel the weight of that mission statement, step through the door of a Telesco Project like Fuel, Studio A, or Nocturnal in the brand new nightclub district in Downtown Miami. The roster of memorable South Beach nightspots Telesco designed include The Living Room, Zen, Bash & Chaos and late 90s megaclubs Shadow Lounge, Bacchanalia, Liquid, Opium Gardens and the legendary Crobar. The contract with Waxy’s includes a Downtown branch slated to open in the Neo Vertica building in Brickell Village later this year.

It will be our mission this March to crawl (on hands and knees if necessary) from the Free Spirits Pub on 21 Street to Clarke’s on First Street and back in honor of Saint Patrick and all things holy and/or filled with stout. If you’re interested in religious pilgrimages, come along and bring your friends. We’ve posted a list of our favorite pubs to help you find your way on the 17th or whenever you need a wee bit of the UK in FLA. Give us a shout if you have another SoBe favorite and we’ll see you there.

Celebrate the Season at…

Free Spirits Sports Cafe 100 21 Street - Where English football fans unite.
Finnegan’s Way 1344 Ocean Drive - Popular happy hours on Ocean Drive.
Finnegan’s Two 942 Lincoln Road - Live bands some nights and big screen TVs facing the mall.
Abbey Brewing Co. 1115 16th Street - Off the radar micro-brewery.
Lost Weekend 218 Espanola Way - Drink Beer, Play Darts, Have Fun.
Playwright Irish Pub 1265 Washington Avenue - The Irishman’s clubhouse.
Waxy O’Connor’s 1248 Washington Avenue - The New Kids on the Block.
The Smoking Rabbit 510 Ocean Drive - The new Upscale GastroPub.
Clarke’s 840 First Street - Low key on SoFi.
Erin Go Bragh!